Swine & U

from THE LAND ~ September 18, 2020 ~ Southern Edition

Mielke Market Weekly

Improving sustainability by recycling food waste — Part I

Crises often lead to change. For far too long, food waste has been the greatest contributor to inefficiency of resource use and our inability to achieve greater global food security and sustainability.

More than 1.3 billion tons of edible food material are wasted annually around the world, which represents about one third of the total food produced and is enough to feed more than one billion people.

The amount and types of food waste vary between countries. Forty-four percent of global food waste occurs in less-developed countries during the postharvest and processing stages of the food supply chain. The remaining 56 percent of these losses (of which 40 percent occur at the pre- and post-consumer stages) are attributed to developed countries in Europe, North America, Oceania, Japan, South Korea and China. As a result, the United Nations has deemed food waste reduction as a global priority and included it in the list of sustainability goals. Specifically, food waste reduction has significant implications for several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals including zero hunger; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; and life on land.

Crises often accelerate existing trends and the Covid-19 pandemic is redefining the concept of sustainability. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in food supply chains and caused huge shifts in food access, food security and food losses due to changes in food flow and distribution patterns.

Food supply chains are complex and most operate in a “just-in-time” mode where minor disruptions can have dramatic consequences. When employees were required to stay at home, and all businesses except those deemed essential were closed, consumer demand for food shifted from food services (e.g., restaurants, hotels, schools, and institutions) to retail grocery stores. Although ample supplies of food were available, existing food distribution networks were unable to quickly respond to these changes, which resulted in increased food waste.

For example, short-term disruptions in eating habits during the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak in Spain resulted in a 12 percent increase in food loss and waste. Furthermore, increased shortages of agricultural and food processing workers caused by illness or fear of becoming ill led to fruit and vegetable crops being destroyed, along with closures or reduced processing capacity of animal slaughter plants. This severely restricted access for marketready livestock and poultry and resulted in the unfortunate need to humanely euthanize and dispose of millions of animals originally destined to enter the food chain.

Economic losses due to Covid-19 disruptions have been estimated to be at least $13.6 billion (U.S. dollars) for U.S. cattle producers and $5 billion for U.S. pork producers — with 30 percent less meat available to consumers at a projected 20 percent increase in price.

UniversityofMinnesota EXTENSION

SWINE &U

In addition to these economic losses, lack of sufficient rendering capacity for disposal of marketready animals has required the use of other less-desirable methods of SWINE & U disposal which are detriBy Dr. Gerald C. Shursoon mental to the environment and cause inefficiencies in resource use (i.e., land, water, nitrogen, phosphorus, labor) while increasing biosecurity risks.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers have proposed rethinking and redefining sustainability as the intersection of the economy, environment, society, and human health. Furthermore, a more holistic approach which includes climate, economics and nutrition is needed to improve food supply chain efficiency by reducing food loss and improving waste management of food supply chains adversely affected by changes in consumption patterns caused by pandemics.

In fact, the European Union has already indicated plans to revise the Farm to Fork subsection of the Green Deal reforms. Now, more than ever before, it is time for researchers and food sector experts to accelerate efforts for developing more sustainable and modern food systems by reducing the cost of food waste recovery and reutilization in the food chain. However, a very important component of food loss which has not been considered in all of these proposals, which also has dramatic effects on food security and sustainability, are mortalities caused by animal disease epidemics.

The African swine fever epidemic in China caused estimated losses of 220 to 300 million pigs originally destined for the food chain in 2019. This enormous number of pigs represents 25–35 percent of the total world pig population.

Because of the lack of infrastructure to manage the disposition of millions of pigs, the capabilities to recover nutrients from carcasses through rendering was not possible, and carcass burial and disposal in landfills were used at great environmental costs and biosecurity risks.

In addition, highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in many countries around the world have resulted in losses of millions of chickens due to mortality and depopulation. Unfortunately, the likelihood of future disruptions in global food animal production caused by animal disease epidemics is increasing — due to increased global trade and travel, urbanization, exploitation of natural resources, and changes in land use.

These unprecedented food losses due to disruptions in global food supply chains have created an urgent need to reevaluate the intertwining of resource recovery, environmental impacts, and biosafety of various food waste streams and animal carcasses to achieve the greatest value. This is essential because animal-derived foods provide about one third of total human protein consumption; but their production requires about 75 percent of arable land and 35 percent of grain resources, while contributing about 14.5 percent to total greenhouse gas emissions.

Reimagining recovery of nutrients from food waste and animal carcasses, and subsequent recycling of these valuable nutrients into animal feed, can provide tremendous opportunities to use less arable land and rely less on global grain supplies, while reducing animal agriculture’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

Although Japan and South Korea have been leaders in recycling food waste into animal feed, countries which produce much greater amounts of food waste (such as the United States and the European Union) have lagged far behind. Concerns over the risk of transmission of bacteria, prions, parasites and viruses have been the main obstacles limiting the recycling of food waste streams containing animal-derived tissues into animal feed. These concerns have led to government regulations restricting this practice in the U.S. and EU.

Adequate thermal processing is effective for inactivating all biological agents of concern — perhaps except for prions from infected ruminant tissues. The tremendous opportunity for nitrogen and phosphorus resource recovery from recycling food waste streams and rendered animal by-products into animal feed have not been fully appreciated.

Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the benefits and limitations of recycling various pre-harvest to post-harvest food animal-derived waste sources, as well as retail to post-consumer food waste sources, into animal feeds to achieve greater food security and sustainability.

In next month’s Swine & U, we will examine further the options for maximizing resource recovery and value of waste streams when dealing with food waste disposal.

Dr. Gerald Shurson is a Professor of swine nutrition in the University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science and can be reached at shurs001@ umn.edu. v

South Central College unveils $11 million remodel

By KRISTINE GOODRICH

Mankato Free Press

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. — South Central College students have updated experiential labs and classrooms, a new space to study and meet with classmates, and a centralized place to get help.

An $11 million remodel of much of the college’s North Mankato campus was completed late last spring. State lawmakers who helped fund the project and other officials celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 15.

Lawmakers approved $9.6 million in state funding for the project in the 2017 bonding bill.

On Sept. 30, the University of Minnesota Extension will host a webinar focusing on the different factors and steps to connect goat and sheep producers with consumers.

Discussion will center around the different types of processing and direct marketing, animal ID and record keeping, factors affecting the marketing of sheep and goats, cuts of meat, profit calculators, outlets for direct marketing, and how to tell your story.

Extension sheep specialist Dr. Travis Hoffman, local meat specialist Rashed Ferdous and a representative from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s

The eighth International Dairy Federation’s symposium on sheep, goat and other non-cow milk will be presented in a digital format. Originally planned to take place in May 2020 in Brussels, Belgium, webinars to be held Nov. 4, 5 and 6.

Topics to be discussed on the agenda include socio-economic sustainability; policies and social aspects of non-cow milk production; managing sheep farm performances to improve productivity and environmental performance; the medicinal values of camel milk and its significance for food security; udder

“We really appreciate the legislative support,” SCC President Annette Parker said. “It’s really going to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The college used $1 million of its reserves to finish the project, which began in spring 2019.

Area businesses and organizations provided another $750,000 in financial and in-kind donations toward the remodel and enhancing programs.

Minnesota State Board of Trustees President Jay Cowles called the gifts an example of the industry partnerships that are the “lifeblood of making a community college relevant, well

U of M Extension to host goat/sheep webinar

equipped and with a sense of direction Dairy and Meat Inspection Division will be the featured speakers.

The webinar begins at 6:30 p.m. Preregistration is required. Register at z. umn.edu/Goat-SheepMarketing by noon on Sept. 30. The Zoom link will be emailed to you after registration closes. If you are unable to attend the live session, you will receive the recording via email.

Contact Brenda Miller at nels4220@ umn.edu or Colleen Carlson at traxl042@umn.edu with any questions.

This article was submitted by

IDF non-cow milk symposium

University of Minnesota Extension. v health and mastitis in small ruminants; how processing of sheep milk impacts human digestion; development of novel products based on donkey milk; processing technologies for nonbovine milk: opportunities and challenges and why somatic cell counts in goat milk matter.

Further information on the symposium can be found at www.fil-idf.org/ sheepandgoat2020,

This article was submitted by the International Dairy Federation. v in its programs.”

Nearly 34,000 square feet of the building were remodeled with updated learning and student support spaces.

Minnesota State Project Manager Karen Huiett said the project had two central objectives: “To create a student and faculty environment that simulates real-life experiences and then prepares students to enter into the workforce or on to a university.”

The improvements include new health science, welding and agriculture labs with new equipment that mirrors or mimics what students will use in the workforce.

There also are a number of remodeled classrooms, many of which had not had a major makeover since they were built in the 1960s.

A new suite of offices known as the One Stop brings together academic advising, financial aid and many other student support services that were previously scattered throughout the building.

“This really centralizes our response to what our students’ needs are,” said Judy Endres, associate vice president of student affairs.

The project also included less visible but long deferred maintenance work, including replacing the roof, and heating and cooling systems.

There also are some new spaces for students while they are not in class. A lounge and meeting rooms are open for students to study and work in small groups. Another room is open to any student for prayers or other quiet reflection and includes a washing station designed for Muslim students.

SCC Student Senate President Taylor Benton brought a student voice to the design phase of the project.

“I am really grateful this is the school I chose to come to because it makes sure students are put first and this renovation has clearly shown that,” she said.

The Free Press and The Land are sister publications owned by The Free Press Media. v

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Growers need to be vigilant stewards of the 2021 crop

By DICK HAGEN rewards too! succulent silks still coming out. The Land Staff Writer Emeritus The Land: We also hear it’s So if you were seeing this activity in your fields this

OLIVIA, Minn. — Blue skies, been a good year for corn rootfall, be vigilant this coming year. That’s why I can see bright sunshine and comfortable worm beetles — especially egg an increase in corn rootworm-treated corn sales this temperatures greeted Brevant laying this fall? season; and/or insecticide treatments — whichever Seeds dealer representatives to a Sept. 3 event hosted by Brad Pietig. I had an opportunity to sit down with Brevant Retail Product Agronomist Seth Kveno for a quick question-and-answer session. Kveno brings with him about 20 years in this constantly pulsating seed Seth Kveno Kveno: I agree — especially in the eastern part of Minnesota because of increasing continuous corn acres. We’re seeing a fair amount of corn rootworm activity and also heavy numbers of beetles. route a producer decides. If 2021 continues to look like a stronger market year for corn, we want to protect every bushel to harvest. The Land: With farm economists advising profits start with lowering production costs, how do you advise root protection? industry. His business card reads, “The BOLD new Yes, partly to blame is farmer neglect. Many don’t Kveno: This goes back to your local fertilizer future of the seed industry has a name. It’s SETH.” use soil-applied insecticides, or aren’t planting cornsource providing a sulfa insecticide — if you have The Land: What four key areas should farmers be visualizing for Crop Year 2021? rootworm traited products. Plus the economy has given pause to whether they should spend that additional money. However, now we are seeing an elevatthat opportunity. Not all new planters are set up with that capability today because many growers decided against that protection. So that may leave

Kveno: Bottom line profitability is perhaps always ed amount of beetle-feeding on corn ear tips, and you focusing on rootworm technologies within the number one. That starts with aggressive marseed industry today. keting. A few years ago when we had $5 to $7 corn, a few cents when you sell didn’t matter so much. Not so today, however. Now even a few cents can make or break a farming operation going into the new year. EPA now mandates all rootworm technologies are ‘pyramid stacked’ which means there is no single mode of action. However ‘trait stacks’ on Brevant hybrids prolong the efficacy of the rootworm protection. Number two? A firm cropping plan which includes a trusted crop advisor: your local retailer, or a crop consultant. My advice: always protect your investment with proper seed choices. Here in southern Minnesota we too often see corn tipping over

Number three would be implementing that because of overly aggressive winds. And that plan with your local provider doing agronomic happens more easily if you have rootless corn inputs of fertilizer, necessary fungicides and because of corn rootworms. seed selections with appropriate trait technolo gies and high-yielding genetics. The Land: So should I even question purchasing trait-free hybrids and low cost seed? And number four would be proper equipment. I believe the importance of how and where to place each seed and all other inputs has now come to a peak. Kveno: Every situation needs to be evaluated separately. Today, many of our customers now perform at high management levels which might include soil-applied insecticides and close

The Land: We read and hear good yields Photo by Dick Hagen monitoring of the corn fields for corn borer begin with good roots. But as we witnessed What happens if there is some residue herbicide solution in infestations. In that situation, gambling on a today at this show plot event, there is so much spray tanks of commercial field spraying rigs? That concern has non-treated corn might be a financial advanmore. Please explain. prompted many harsh tongues from neighbors in recent times, tage. If their fields don’t have a corn borer his

Kveno: What you saw today are new Brevant despite the extreme care of commercial crop sprayers. tory, they may gamble and win. However, in my corn and soybean varieties available for 2021. Two Brevant soybean test plots adjacent to U.S. Highway 71, travels across southern Minnesota the past You’ve heard the line, ‘Today’s hybrids start south Olivia, showcase the results of inadequate tank cleaning. couple of years, I’m seeing a ramping-up of corn with 500-bushel potentials right out of the bag.’ Yes, that’s doable and a few have succeeded. But that reality includes a host of additional “What you see here is a susceptible variety, Liberty Link, which is not tolerant to either Dicamba or 2,4-D,” explained Seth Kveno of Brevant Seeds. “And you see no damage to the soyrootworm beetle activity. I firmly believe we should be protecting that investment — especially with the today’s seed costs. practices starting with superior genetics, propbeans — no stunting and no symptomology that would be indicThe Land: This spring, virtually all corn was er seed placement in well-drained soils, then ative of 2,4-D damage. But look at the row below my left arm: April planted; lots of soybeans too. So you see protecting your investment with insecticides damage without proper clean out of nozzles, filters and pumps the same thing next year if weather permits? and perhaps rootworm technologies too. However, this all hinges on being a good steward of your crop … watching it closely throughout the growing season to identify any potential issues, and correcting as needed. Gone are the days when you could plant, spray with Roundup, prior to loading your crop spraying chemicals if not planting herbicide-tolerant soybeans.” Stunted soybeans were RR2 sprayed with a 0.5 percent spray solution of Engenia at 12.8 fluid ounces, post-emergence. This is equivalent of five gallons of spray solution left in a 1,000-gallon tank. Kveno: It seems my answer should be, ‘why not?’ But it really boils down to each operation having the right investment in equipment, field drainage and appropriate genetics. Seedling vigor and early emergence are always part of our vetting processes. However, increased perthen head to the lake for a few days of fishing Brevant’s Enlist E3 soybeans can be sprayed with Enlist herbiformance in other areas is critical too. However, and loafing. We keep uncorking new managecides, glyphosate and glufosanate. Specifics: Near zero volatilas we’ve all witnessed, today’s hybrids can betment issues and new ideas on how to maximize ity: up to 96 percent less volatile and 2,4-D ester; combines with ter handle a few days of colder, wet soil condiproduction. Yes, ‘crop smarts’ is a never-ending challenge; and hopefully linked to never-ending low-drift nozzles for a 90 percent reduction in physical drift com pared with traditional 2,4-D. See KVENO, pg. 20 tions too.

MULTIPLE SOAs: THE BEST WEED CONTROL OPTION

The easiest weeds to control are those that never emerge. Cliché? Maybe. But as weeds continue to adapt, mounting resistance to herbicides builds every year. Sustainable control has become increasingly more challenging to achieve.

The over-reliance of a single site of action (SOA) continues to provide new challenges for weed control in soybeans with each growing season. XtendFlex ® soybeans will help farmers focus on the basics of a sound weed management system — multiple SOAs and overlapping residuals, all without having to compromise performance and yield.

Sustainable weed control is only possible through the incorporation of a herbicide program that utilizes multiple effective SOAs. Beck’s multi-year Practical Farm Research (PFR) ® data has demonstrated the impact and importance of utilizing a pre-emerge program with multiple SOAs (Figure 1).

ADVANTAGES OF THE XTENDFLEX ® SYSTEM

XtendFlex soybeans feature the benefi ts of the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System with the addition of tolerance to glufosinate. This allows access to multiple effective herbicides to manage each of your fi elds’ unique weed challenges. Beck’s PFR studies on the effectiveness of combining glufosinate and glyphosate show they are a powerful tool against tough-to-control waterhemp.

POWER IN THE PRE ™ : Controlling weeds early with a pre-emergence application not only reduces the likelihood of developing resistance, but it also protects soybean yields. The over-reliance on POST programs to control early-emerging weeds is unlikely to provide results and could cause yield losses of up to 2.5% for every growth stage you delay your applications. Put the Power in the Pre ™ and let your pre-emergence applications do the heavy lifting. Post-emergence applications can then be used as rescue treatments for weed escapes.

POWER OF MULTIPLE SOAs: In-season, Liberty ® will provide effective post-emergence control of weeds such as waterhemp, kochia, and giant ragweed. XtendFlex soybeans provide postemergence tolerance to multiple SOAs to control resistant broadleaf weeds. Now farmers can confi dently pursue higher yields by making earlyseason herbicide applications and maintain the option of spraying Liberty over-the-top once crops have emerged.

POWER OF HIGHYIELDING GERMPLASM: Backed by uncompromising yield potential and outstanding agronomic performance in all maturities, XtendFlex ® soybeans are built on the same proven genetic performance of highyielding Roundup Ready 2 Xtend ® soybeans, now with the power of Liberty herbicide.

While weed control continues to provide new challenges with each growing season, you will have the option to bring the power to your soybean platform in 2021 with XtendFlex soybeans.

The EPA is currently reviewing a new registration for XtendiMax ® for the 2021 season and beyond.

*No dicamba may be used in-crop with seed in the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System, unless and until approved or specifi cally permitted by the U.S. EPA and the appropriate state agency for such use. As of August 2020, no dicamba formulations are currently registered by the U.S. EPA for in-crop use with seed in the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System in the 2021 season. Current stocks of low-volatility dicamba herbicides XtendiMax ® herbicide, Engenia ® herbicide and FeXapan ® herbicide previously approved for in-crop use with seed in the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System may not be used after July 31, 2020. Dicamba may harm crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicides products for in-crop use with seed in the Roundup Ready ® Xtend Crop System.

NOTICE: DO NOT APPLY ANY HERBICIDE TO SEED IN THE ROUNDUP READY® XTEND CROP SYSTEM UNLESS IT HAS A PRODUCT LABEL SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZING THAT USE. TO USE A HERBICIDE IN ANY MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH ITS LABELING IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW. REFER TO THE BAYER TECHNOLOGY USE GUIDE FOR DETAILS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON USING APPROVED ROUNDUP® BRANDED HERBICIDES ON SEED IN THE ROUNDUP READY® XTEND CROP SYSTEM. FIGURE 1: INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE SOAs